Updates from the Merill Farmers' Network

Hello Merill fans,

John Gauci, one of our young farmers and myself

Though summer was officially over on the 21st of September, we are still enjoying blue skies and warm temperatures here in Malta. All the grapes have been harvested and the wine makers are now busy monitoring their new wines. Pomegranates are ripening and it will soon be time to harvest the olives with which the new olive oil will be made. 

We're happy to announce that our network is getting bigger! We now have 20 farmers and artisans around Malta who form part of the Merill Rural Network. 

Tess Gauci - an expert of Maltese local delicacies

All our partners forming the network are authentic farmers and herdsmen, while some are artisans. During the eco and agri experiences we organise, we visit farm venues with guests who wish to enjoy agri-tourism activities, or simply to relax, or to learn about the Maltese culture. 

Nenu Farrugia - One of the very few
Karozzini (horse-cabs) makers left in Malta

Here are some photos of some members of the network. More coming up soon!

Stay in touch through our website or facebook fan page, or drop us a line on info@merillecotours.com.

Take care

Jeanette :)

Malta - The land of plenty

Cabbages

Pumpkins

Melons

Prickly Pears 

The farmer and myself

This morning Christian and I met a farmer who took us around his family run estate of 4.5 hectares. The farmer explained that before his family settled there, all the land had been abandoned and all the rubble walls and paths were derelict.  It took this family decades to turn this estate into fertile land, where crops grow all year round. Strawberries, cucumbers and garlic have been planted while the season of summer fruits such as melons and watermelons will soon be over.

While going through the fields, I asked the farmer about challenges they face and future prospects of such an enterprise. He explained that the prices offered for produce at the Pitkali market are often too low to cover costs of inputs and intensive labour. However since the Farmer's Market in Ta' Qali opened, they can sell the produce directly to consumers thus keeping prices reasonable. The Farmer's market is also challenging in itself. All his family are engaged in harvesting, grading and selling fresh produce, thus offering the very best every Tuesdays and Saturdays. One of the things we can all do to support local farmers is to buy their produce. Apart from producing fresh fruits and vegetables, they maintain the landscape and conserve agricultural biodiversity. 

As Merill Eco Tours we're doing our best to help farmers by promoting their produce and offering ecotourism opportunites. For more information about agri-tourism experiences, visit our website www.merillecotours.com 

Reduce the Carbon Footprint - choose local products!

Masgar Eco Hamper - 20 Euros

Are you looking for that small gift for your relatives and friends this Easter? How about an Eco Hamper?! Individual products such as local wine, jams and olive oil may be nicely wrapped to make an ideal token. We have a whole range of products bought directly from the farmer. This Merill Eco Tours initiative has already generated a lot of interest amongst both the Maltese community and foreigners who visit our islands. The products do not only look nice but also taste superb :) 

Contact us on 79411388 for more info!

Agritourism Experience in Malta - 10th April 2011

In spite there were many activities going on in Malta today, I still managed to gather a small crowd to  attend the Agritourism Experience as part of the "JCI Malta" social events for this year. Five out of twelve had already attended other agri/social events, while the rest had never been to such an activity. The farmer and his wife welcomed us and showed us around the ten hectare olive grove. They explained  the history and the future of their enterprise with great passion. The terraced fields slope gently toward a sheer dropping cliff made of lower Corraline limestone. Apart from the thousands of olive trees present on the farm, we had the time to appreciate a lot of endemic species. The view of Filfla (the tiny island in the photo) was the cherry on the cake. The experience ended with a lunch made out of organic products produced on the same farm. Capers, herbs and extra virgin olive oil gave a rich Mediterranean taste to the lunch. We also tasted local fruits that are in season such as medlars and melons. After a half day out in the fields I managed to get a suntan :) Looking forward to enjoy more days out in the sunshine!

Some information about Filfla:
http://www.maltainsideout.com/5175/filfla-rubble-rock-and-rare-species/